“You don’t have to have extravagant wealth or a degree from Harvard to make it; a successful business requires essentially the same thing for a successful life —perspective,” says veteran Texas businessman David M. Smith. In his book The Texas Spirit (2014; Halcyon Press, www.TheTexasSpiritBook.com), Smith reviews some common denominators for success.

More and more small business owners are selling their companies, with sales hitting a four-year high earlier this year in the United States, and Canada predicting its largest small business turnover ever in the next five years.

Kathleen Richardson-Mauro, co-author with Jane M. Johnson of a practical new guide, “Cashing Out of Your Business,” suggests these steps for small business owners of any age to begin preparing mentally for their non-CEO future.

By Lance Brown, VP of Product Development at Huzzah Media, provider of innovative digital solutions for small businesses

In today’s mobile world, it is critical that Main Street businesses engage with their customers on a more frequent basis since many of their big box counterparts are already doing so. But small business owners are struggling to take the next step to expanding their digital footprint, in large part because of most of today’s online tools aren’t suited for their unique needs.

As overwhelming as going digital may seem, there are simple things small business owners can do to get started.

Building a successful online business is no easy task. It takes hard work, time, and commitment. As we all know, the success of a business is dependent on its customers who keep the business alive. Finding these customers is not always easy. Discover ten places, online and offline, you can effectively utilize to find and bring in those potential customers.